Improve the Unix launcher script to handle Java versions > 1.8

[egli]

Improve the launcher script so that it can handle java verion strings of the form "1.8.0_xxx" as well as "11.0.x"

[bertfrees]

The version detection looks great, but is Java 8 actually required?

[egli]

The version detection looks great, but is Java 8 actually required?

TBH I do not know. I just thought 1.8 is a good baseline

[egli]

I can change the PR to require at least 1.5 as it did before

[bertfrees]

I asked because some code still requires Java 6 to actually run correctly. And I'm not sure you can run it with Java 6 if you haven't compiled it with Java 6.

Changing the PR to require at least 1.5 for now, as it did before, sounds good.

[egli]

Hm, build-core.xml defines in the compile target a source and a target of 11. This was changed in b65054a from 1.8 to 11. Doesn't that mean that need at least Java11 to run Pipeline1?

[bertfrees]

I changed that back to 1.8, but I see now that I have not pushed those changes yet.

[bertfrees]

see #13

[rdeltour]

Yeah, ICU4J 72 requires Java 8, so I don't see why we require Java 11?

[rdeltour]

Other than the pending decision on minimal Java version, the version detection changes look good to me 👍

[egli]

So I'm a bit confused. Should I require Java 1.5 (as it did before) or Java 8? If you merge #13 then the build target will be 1.8

[bertfrees]

Well, there are two conflicting issues:

• some code does not work with Java > 6
• but apparently ICU4J 72 requires Java 8.

and I guess the latter wins.

[egli]

So if we go for Java 8 this PR can go in as is